Spiritual Life

The Spiritual Life column offers community members a chance to write opinion pieces about religious matters. The columns represent the views of the writers, not the Town Crier newspaper or its staff.

Los Altos United Methodist Church’s pastoral staff and Church Council recently rejected a United Methodist General Conference decision deeming the practice of homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching (Town Crier, “Los Altos United Methodist bucks church stance on gays,” July 4).

Citing a verse from Micah, an Old Testament prophet speaking to inhabitants of southern Judah, this local church claims that all God requires of us now is to “act justly, love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”

From the perspective of a Bible-believer who accepts the fullness of Scripture as the Word of God, the Gold Standard of Measure, I searched the New Testament to see which claim best reflects what Christians are wise to surmise regarding homosexual behavior.

Paul, tutored in an Arabian desert by the Holy Spirit for three years, wrote 13 letters. Regarding homosexual activity, Paul wrote, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites …” (1 Cor. 6:9).

Paul wrote, “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due” (Romans 1:26-29).

A quick read of Paul’s Galatians and Ephesians, John’s Revelation, plus other relevant New Testament verses seems clear – the United Methodist General Conference is correct.

So what are the consequences of disregarding God’s Word, compromising the Gospel regarding homosexual relationships, even redefining marriage, now being considered? Knowing this is important not only to secular society, but because it has eternal value, as it is written, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.”

Children raised in same-sex households experience adverse affects. It is not a canard to mention that. By now, most are aware of the recent study outlining the negative psychological and social impacts that same-sex unions have had on children. Even the liberal New York Times reported the story June 6.

Disregarding this research, a study our government wouldn’t touch, is disingenuous, particularly in Silicon Valley, where parents go to great lengths to give their children every smidgen of advantage over others.

There are health consequences to accepting homosexual behavior as well. AIDS can end in death, and rectum damage in men, rendering them incontinent, as a rectum is not meant for sexual purposes.

Emotion must be replaced with logic, critical-thinking skills and the ability to foresee consequences that result from the acceptance of behaviors.

Christian pastors are obligated to teach the fullness of the New Testament, not partake in hermeneutic gymnastics, cherry-picking verses to fit a politically correct agenda.

Church leadership must be responsible while teaching God’s truths.

“Walking humbly with God” means submission to church authority, particularly when the authority is in alignment with Scripture.

Ronna Devincenzi is a local member of the Catholic Church.

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